This invention relates to a removable dental prosthesis, and more particularly to a device for securing such removable dental prosthesis in the mouth.
There are various dental prostheses which are placed in the mouth and while they must be fixed in position, at the same time appropriate devices must be provided to permit their removal when desired. For example, partial dentures or removable bridge work are inserted in the mouth and must be securely held in place. At the same time, they occasionally need to be removed for cleaning and maintenance. Nevertheless, while they are in the mouth, they must be retained sufficiently secured to the natural teeth to prevent displacement during use.
Numerous holding devices of the above type have been known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,242 describes a device where a ring is attached to the dental prosthesis and is slid downward into a channel which is secured into the side of a fixed tooth. U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,161 describes a detent mechanism inserted in an artificial tooth which engages a recess formed in an adjacent natural tooth. Another such detent mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,304,610 and 2,748,480.
While each of the aforementioned devices provides an appropriate mechanism for retaining a dental prosthesis, the ability to provide improved retention of the dental prosthesis while at the same time facilitating removal thereof, can be improved upon over prior art devices.